Excavating apparatus.



No. 382,726. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908;

W. 0. WEEKS.

BXGAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 22.1907.

y lE-wmm (in us W111i UNITED sTA'r s PATENT WILLIAM (J. wEisKs, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

nxcnvsrmc arrima'rus.

Application filed May 22,

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known tl'lat l, WrLrJAMlY WEEKS, a citizen of the United States, I'G-Sldlllg at Spokane, in the county of Spokane an-d State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating Appatatus, of which the following is a specification. v This invention relates to improved machinery for excavating, dredging, andtransporting earth and other materials with a scoop or scra er, operated from a main ower-station I y means of ropes or cables, lllfld so that t e earth and other materials may be filled into it, transported in it, and

scoo by means of do osited from it.

En this specification the term forward indicates that directionin which the scoop isdrewh when it is being filled, and the term backward indicates the contrary direction.

The GQOP is a receptacle having a closed bottom, back and sides and open front and top. Two cables are used to operate the whichthe same is drawn to t e spot where it is desired to load the same, is' then loaded, drawn forward, emptied-oi its contents and then returned for of the scoo is placed, winding machinery and a pair drums The two cables are secured to the scoop andeach operated by means of the drums of winding machinery,

one adapted to draw the scoop forward and I will .be 'her'einai't' mit oi trave thelother backward with the assistance of a pulley laced-beyond the extreme backward i is. the scoop, over which the cableoperates.

' Other particular escribedand explained. "In the di'awi Figure 3. is a side elevationof the sco'oo same would be forward to be e is "a rear elevatio pojsitign and, F

of contents, Fig. 2 t the scoop in the same on e? the '1 the scoop oncitiier side is linked th am carrying sblock 'to the shaft l which is linked the draw cable 14. N ear theiront end of the scoop 16 and to thesides thereof is secured a station :0 the front .ary bail. 2'5, towhich bail, and made stationcry therewith, are secured two pulleys 11 Specification of Letters Patent.

1907. Serial No. 375,167

reloading, as will he hereinafter explained. Beyond the extreme forward limit of travel.

features of mechanism.

he position in' which tl're. loaded audbeing drawn or of cut Patented March 24, 1908. I

and 12. At the rear end or the scoop 16, and made stationary therewith, is secured a pulley 13. Transversely of the scoop, near the rear end thereof and made stationary'therewith is a cross-armZiZ, extending acrossthe body of the scoop and beyond the sides there of. Linked to the shalt of the pulley 10 is the cable 15, which cablepasses overv the pulley 12, thence over the pulley 10, to and over the pulley 11, thence to and under the pulley 13, to and over the pulley 18 and thence to the drum of windin machinery.

Secured to the cable an made station, ary therewith between the pulleys 11 and 13 is a button. 19 0! other sufficient obstruction, adapted to come in contactv with the said pulleys and not pass beyond, but to hold the cable 15 secure until a draft in the opposite direction is applied, in which case the utton' 19 will againbe blocked at the other pulley and not permit any further passing of the cable 15 be hereinafter explained. Longitudinally arranged upon the outer side and bottom surface of the scoop, are plates 27 to serve the runners and guides for the 'scoop 'in its passage over the surface of the earth and also to protect the body of the scoo i as againstwearage by preventing it from bein Y inconstant. contact withthe earth. It wil be observed that these plates upon the bottom surface of the scoo are inclined upward on their bottom surface or a distance b ack from the front end thereof, inclining upward from the horizontal purpose of strengthening the scoop, the ones on the bottom serving the further purpose of over'the pulley, the significance of which will as they approach the forward end of the scoop being designed to assist in throwing the scoop out of the earth when the same is in a horizontal position. In case it is not desired ,to have these plates on the bottom of. the scoop, the bottom of the scoop itsell may be bentor inclined upward as-it approaches the forward end. thereof, which willserye the purpose of throwing the scoop out of the earth, when the same is in a-horizontal' osition. The plates on the side surface of tie scoop same when in a tilte position as shownin Fig. 3. These plates, 1t Wlll observed, extend forward a sufiicient distance to touch serve the further puiglpose of steadying the or come in contactwith the ground, when the scoop is tilted for loading, serving as legs or supports for thescoop' while in that position, as against any inclination of the $000 to ie s de-wise. All of these plates exten a. dis.

' to more thoroughly effect the objects sought.

The plates on the bottom surface of the scoop are beveled at their front end .in order that they may assist in penetrating the earth in the process ofillling the scoop. In. Fig. 3 is shown in connection with the-scoop, an-earth line 21.

When it is desired to operate the scoop, the winding machinery used to regulate the cable 15 is set in motio'nfand the scoop drawn backward to the spot where it is desired to load. the same. The draft on the cable 15 in drawing the scoop backward causes the block 10 to be drawn. up against the bail 25 and the button 19 to-be drawn against. the ulley 13 as shown in Fig. 3.. In order to oad the scoop his only necessary to stop the winding of the cable 15 and apply the wind in the mean time and during the filling of the Hscoo p hold toproper tension the cable 15,

thus applying the draft onthe cable 14 at a point on the scoop near the top of the bail 25, causing the scoop 16 to tilt forward and dig into the earth. 21,,as shown in Fig. 3, and

' when the scoop is su'fliciently loaded, it is only necessary to slack'en the cable 15, which causes the block 10 to return to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus throwing the draft on the cable 14: to the point on the scoop 16 indicated by the link 20. This causes the scoop 16 to resume a horizontal position-and; the

button 19 to return to its place against the pulley :11 as shownin Fig. 1, and the up wardly inclinedpoints 17. of the'plates 27.

throw the scoop upwardly and out of cutting engagement with the earth 21'. The loaded "scoop inay'then-be drawn forward and up an incline or otherwise, over atrap where the cross-arm 22 may engage sid'e poles, the scoo tip forward into'the trap and empty itsel' and then be drawn .baclrwardagain" by means of the cable 15 for reloading.

. Having thus described my'in ention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z-- 1. In an apparatus for excavating, dredging, and transporting earth and other materials, the c ombinationol a scoop having closed back, bottom and sides, and open front andtop, with a stationarybail near the front end thereof, two pulleys made station ary at the top of the bail and one at the rear of the scoop and made stationary therewith, a chain linked at the front end of the scoop and to the sides thereof with. a pulley at the center, to which )ulley is linked a cable adapted to draw t ie scoop forward and another cable passiug from thence: over one of the pulleys at the top of thebail, thence back over the pulley at the center of the chain, thence over the other pulley at the top of the bail, thence under the pulley made stationary to the back end of the scoop, thence over a pulley to the rear of thescoop and adaated to draw the scoop backward, substantially as 2. In an apparatus for excavating, dredging and transporting earth and other materials, the combination of a scoop having closed back, bottom and sides and open front and top, with strengthening plates secured to the sides and bottom thereofand extending a distance'forward beyond the scoop, the ones on the sides adapted to engage the earth when the scoop is tilted forward in loading and to prevent the scoop from tipping side-- wise, and the ones on the bottoi'n inclined upward from the horizontal as they extend forward for a distance from the front and v,eet forth. ing machinery to draw forward the cable 14,

beveledat the front ends thereof andv adapted for cutting engagement with the earthwhen the scoop is tilted forward and to release the scoopfrom cutting engagement with the earth when the same is in a horizontal posi tion, with two cables operating over pulleys attached to the scoop, one of which cables is ad apt ed to draw the scoop forwardand the other to draw the scoop backward, snbstan tially asset forth.

In testimony whereof, lz have signed my name to this specification in the presence'of two subscribing witnesses. I

W tnesses:

L. L VVESTFALL, MARY SnoLnnREn. 

